Good evening. Tonight I wanted to bring up, well,  really the whole reason for my building my water recycling device. That reason is to keep the precious resource of water from being unnecessarily wasted. Water is necessary for all life on earth, it is a very valuable resource. Currently the state of California is in its' fourth year of drought, we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in the area's history. As you can see from this map that I sourced from the USDA web site, a large area of California is in a state of exceptional drought and much is in a state of extreme drought. It is so very important that people in California and other areas conserve and recycle as much water as possible.

     California alone produces more than half of the United State's fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It is very important for each and every person who lives in California to do what they can to help their communities and their nation by being aware of their water usage and not to use it wastefully. It is easy to conserve and recycle water. Some practical ways to do that are; turning the water faucet off while brushing your teeth, don't fill your water glass all the way up only fill it half way, you are more likely to dump water left in your glass once it gets warm or after a meal, water your lawn or garden in the early morning when it is cool and the water can soak into the ground with minimal evaporation, only run your washer or dryer when they are full, plant plants that are natives to the area, they are more likely able to handle the dry conditions California often experiences, use compost in your garden, it adds water-holding organic matter the soil, and the method that I chose to use at my home for my project, collecting water run-off from swamp coolers or gutters and redirecting it toward trees or plants. Small changes in one's water using habits can add up to a big savings in the amount of water used and on your water bill as well.
     Recently the state of California announced water restrictions that will be imposed on the counties and cities of the state in an effort to conserve water to be used for necessities and agriculture. Incorporating some easy water saving routines into your daily life can not only help your community but also your country have the water we need for the basics, water to drink, wash, water food crops, and water food animals. It will also help keep your home in compliance with the new state regulations regarding water usage and avoid any fines associated with going over the set limits.
     For these reasons and more, I decided to build my water recycling device. I wanted to do my part and help others in my community do their part to conserve our dwindling water supply. What we do to conserve water on a daily basis can make a difference to others in our community, the wild animals in your area if you live in a rural setting, and ultimately on the nation's food supply. Here are some other web sites that can be helpful in finding out ways to conserve water in your home and on your land.

eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

www.groundwater.org/action/home/conserve.html

http://planetsave.com/2009/03/20/10-simple-ways-to-conserve-water/

     Please join me and others in your community in being wise in the use of our precious resource of fresh water. It is so important to every living thing on the planet, how can we excuse the unnecessary wasting of something so valuable?